Awaiting the Finest Fall Classic in a Decade

Why does this World Series feel so perfect? Maybe because it is — putting baseball’s two most headstrong teams on a collision course. There’s plenty to choose from the Yankees-Phillies buffet, whether you’re a purist who loves pitching duels (CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee in Games 1, 4 and 7) or a power junkie who lives for home runs (Yankee Stadium and Citizens Bank Park ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the long ball this year) or a hater who already has targeted his villain of choice.

Imagine the first time Jimmy Rollins or, better yet, Pedro Martinez, sets foot in the Stadium on Wednesday night. Now imagine Philadelphia’s reaction to Alex Rodriguez, who’s regarded as the latter-day Barry Bonds everywhere except the Bronx. It won’t be pretty.

The Phillies (and their fans) are like the Red Sox and Mets rolled into one primal package: They resent the pinstripes — they talk about it, brag about it — and have the firepower to do something about it.

So sit back and prepare for the best World Series in a decade. There are a million reasons to watch. Here are a few: